Tannkosh - „The Looping Battle“

The time has finally come: The long-awaited premiere of the never-seen-before “Looping Battle” will finally take place on Saturday, August 24th above the grounds of the Tannheim airfield in Germany – and features a unique duel starring Rainer Wilke in the BO 105 and Matthias Dolderer in the Edge 540.

The challenge: Who can do more loops in three minutes? Wilke in the BO 105, one of the only aerobatic helicopters out there, or local hero Dolderer, who will be competing in the aerobatic Edge 540? A unique battle, which will once again prove just how expertly the two Flying Bulls pilots have mastered their profession.

“Rainer and I have been discussing about who can do more loops for a while now. That’s how the Looping Battle was born,” explains Matthias Dolderer, owner of the Tannheim airfield. “If you think that the Edge is way superior to the BO, you might be mistaken. Although the Edge has a higher yaw rate, loops are less strain for the BO giving Rainer a perfect starting position.”

The battle, which will kick offat around 4pm depending on weather condition, follows strict rules: Shortly after the first loop has begun from a horizontal position, the clock starts ticking.

Ideally, loss of altitude is limited and the pilots finish the last loop at the same height as the first one. Once the three minutes are over, the jury has to evaluate whether the nose of the airplane is above the horizon. If yes, the loop counts towards the result. At this point, neither Rainer Wilke nor Matthias Dolderer want to reveal how many loops they’ve already completed during training.

“The Edge was designed particularly for those maneuvers and the BO is primarily used to transport people,” says Rainer Wilke. “However, in contrast to the Edge, the BO is able to complete loops at very low speed, which saves time. It definitely won’t be easy for my rival!”

Spectators will have the chance to bet for their favorite contestant at the specially created “Tannkosh betting office” where great prices will be waiting for them - but it’s all for a good cause. The money collected will go straight to the Tannheim kindergarten.

Which of the two Flying Bulls pilots will come out on top of this unique looping battle is still up in the air but one thing is for sure: Fans of flying are in for a dizzying battle that should not be missed!